*** Press Release ***

Mayor Edwin M. Lee and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all surface transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), will celebrate the 18th annual Bike to Work Day Thursday, May 10. This is a regional event celebrating and encouraging bicycling for transportation. San Francisco organizes one of the biggest and most well-known Bike to Work Day events in the country.

“Whether you are going to work, going to school or simply running errands, bicycling is fast becoming our City's preferred mode of travel,” said Mayor Lee. “With the expansion of our bike network into every corner of the city, more and more San Franciscans have access to safe and convenient bicycling.”

"I am so pleased biking to work is becoming more and more common in San Francisco," said Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, who often bikes along Polk Street to City Hall. "We have to do everything we can to make every day Bike to Work Day."

“The city’s annual Bike to Work Day highlights our commitment to fostering sustainable transportation options in San Francisco,” said Tom Nolan, Chairman of the SFMTA Board of Directors. “As the SFMTA spreads the bicycling infrastructure to all corners of the city, more and more San Franciscans are encouraged to use this healthy and environmentally friendly option.”

This year’s Bike to Work Day will have 11 different commuter convoys from around the City organized by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC). SFMTA senior management and other staff will ride in the convoys, which will converge at City Hall and join Mayor Lee for the 8:30 a.m. press conference on the Polk Street steps.

A key element supporting the increase in bicycling citywide is the improvements to the San Francisco bike network. The SFMTA continues to build on a strong foundation of planning to implement the following bicycling infrastructure improvements:

Installed 5.25 miles of bike lanes and projects, giving San Francisco its current total of approximately 66 miles of bike lanes on the bike network. Also added 385 shared bike markings, “sharrows,” over nearly nine miles for a total of 4,150 sharrows

Completing JFK Drive cycle track and adding sharrows at intersections and hash marks along the “door zone” on 17th Street

“With a 71 percent increase over the past five years, it is clear that many residents and businesses have embraced bicycling,” said Edward D. Reiskin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “Guided by the city’s Bike Plan, which supports and encourages this growth, the SFMTA continues to add mile after mile of bike lane, implement innovative projects, and work closely with businesses and neighborhoods to help them bring bicycle facilities to their doorsteps and ensure bicycling is safe for everyone.”

The San Francisco Bike Coalition’s (SFBC) Bicycle Friendly Business Awards will highlight companies with innovative bike parking and effective programs encouraging employees to bike to work.

“It’s been a great year for San Francisco biking,” said Leah Shahum, Executive Director of the SFBC. “We’re seeing more bike lanes, innovative bike projects and greater business and political support for biking than ever. San Francisco is on its way to being a world-class city for biking.”

For more information on Bike to Work Day or to participate, visit the SFBC at www.sfbike.org/btwd.

Countdown to the Shutdown

Bicycling to work will be a great option during the Long Muni Rail Shutdown, May 25 to June 4, which will impact the N Judah, the J Church, the 22 Fillmore and several other bus routes. Bike detours will also be in place for the Wiggle, the Steiner/Sanchez route and the connector route between the Wiggle and Market Street. More information is available at www.sfmta.com/longshutdown.